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DPhil in History

About the course

The DPhil in History is an advanced research degree, awarded on the basis of successful completion of an individual research thesis and an oral examination. Your thesis will be based on extensive original research and engagement with current scholarship.

If studying full-time, you are expected to submit your thesis three, or at most four, years from the date of admission. If studying part-time, you are expected to submit your thesis six, or at most eight, years from the date of admission.

You will be supported by a supervisor or supervisors who will help you develop a programme of research and writing. You will also benefit from the advice and support of other members of the faculty who will be involved in your progression through the transfer and confirmation stages of the degree, and you will be able to draw on the expertise of scholars and colleagues throughout the faculty and University.

You will be expected to attend and to contribute to the wide range of research seminars, conferences and workshops organised by the division and faculty. You will also have access to specialist training courses offered by the Bodleian Libraries and IT Services.

Further information about studying part-time

The faculty is able to offer the DPhil in History in full-time as well as part-time mode of attendance. Please note that any published statistics as regards acceptance rates are not an indication of applicants having a better chance of acceptance in part-time mode. All DPhil applications are assessed together and compared with each other, irrespective of the mode of study.

The faculty's research degrees are not available by distance learning. Although there will be no requirement to reside in Oxford, part-time research students must attend the University on a regular basis (particularly in term-time: October and November, mid-January to mid-March, and late April to mid-June) for supervision, study, research seminars and skills training.

The faculty appreciates that part-time research students will have non-standard attendance and work patterns. To ensure a comprehensive integration into the faculty's and University's research culture and with their full-time peer groups a pattern of attendance at training events and research seminars would form part of the general part-time study agreement as well as the individualised arrangements between supervisor and student. If you need a visa to study in the UK you cannot register for the part-time course.

Graduate destinations

A recent survey of the destinations of doctoral students who completed theses in 2001 shows that about half are in academic posts in nine countries; some are working in museums, or as freelance historians; others are primarily in higher administrative positions: in the civil service, university administration, banking, occasionally in publishing or law.

A preliminary survey of those who completed their doctorate in 2011 shows that around 40% are currently in academic teaching or research positions on collaborative projects or as Junior Research Fellows.

Related courses

Changes to the course

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2017-18

Within equal opportunities principles and legislation, applications will be assessed in the light of an applicant’s ability to meet the following entry requirements:

1. Academic ability

Proven and potential academic excellence

Applicants are expected to be predicated or to have completed a master's course at a distinction or high pass level before starting the DPhil.

When assessors judge that a formally qualified and otherwise promising applicant requires strictly limited further training to embark on a doctoral programme, a doctoral place may be offered but only on the stipulation that the student successfully complete relevant elements of one of the faculty's master's courses before attempting 'transfer' to full doctoral status, meaning that the student may be asked to attend seminars or classes intended for master’s students.

Applicants are also normally expected to have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in history or cognate disciplines.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.75 out of 4.0.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a cumulative GPA of 3.8, a first-class degree or the equivalent.

Applicants without a prior degree in history or history of art should be aware that competition for a place on the DPhil is extremely tough and that even some of Oxford's own master's students are not able to secure a place on the DPhil. You should consider that most of your competitors will have a solid background in the discipline and the appropriate training for academic research in a historical context, with a first class or distinction grade. If you decide to apply without a prior master's degree in history, please ensure that you link your proposed thesis topic with your previous expertise when you present it in your application. You should also show that you have already done a considerable amount of background research into the topic. Your submitted written work should show your writing and research skills in their best light as it will be important to show that you have the necessary skills for historical research and writing.

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application, including references and an official transcript. See 'How to apply' for instructions on the documents you will need and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview(s)

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.

Assessors may get in touch with an applicant by email in case of any queries, but this is very rare.

Publications

Publications are not required.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

In the case of mature students/intended career changes professional experience in cognate areas may compensate for shortcomings in the formal academic record.

2. English language requirement

Applicants whose first language is not English are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English at the higher level required by the University.

3. Availability of supervision, teaching, facilities and places

The following factors will govern whether candidates can be offered places:

The ability of the Faculty of History to provide the appropriate supervision, research opportunities, teaching and facilities for your chosen area of work.

Minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to Oxford's research and taught programmes.

The provision of supervision, where required, is subject to the following points:

The allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Faculty of History and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff.

Under some circumstances a supervisor outside the Faculty of History may be nominated.

An Oxford academic’s pre-application indication of willingness to supervise an enquiring applicant is not a guarantee that the applicant will be offered a place, or that the supervisor in question has capacity in that particular year.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, maternity leave or change in employment.

4. Disability, health conditions and specific learning difficulties

Students are selected for admission without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or social background.

Decisions on admission are based solely on the individual academic merits of each candidate and the application of the entry requirements appropriate to the course.

5. Assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgment of at least two members of academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and additionally must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent departmental persons or bodies).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

6. Other information

Whether you have yet secured funding is not taken into consideration in the decision to make an initial offer of a place, but please note that the initial offer of a place will not be confirmed until you have completed a Financial Declaration.

Resources

Intellectual life and community

Working as an Oxford graduate student is an exhilarating experience. History in Oxford stretches from circa 300 A.D. to the present, and embraces an exceptionally broad geographical range. It comprises an active research community of up to 800 academics and graduate students. Research is organised around historical periods, research centres, or in collaborative and individual research projects, and graduates are key participants in the wide range of seminars, workshops and conferences run by the History Faculty. Further opportunities for exchange are provided by the interdisciplinary communities fostered within individual colleges, which also offer dedicated support for graduates by means of personal advisors. The Oxford Centre for Research in the Humanities (TORCH) offers a stimulating range of interdisciplinary activities. You will also be encouraged to join the Oxford History Graduate Network (OHGN), which fosters friendships, conversations and collaboration.

The Oxford environment provides a unique opportunity to develop intellectual curiosity whilst remaining focused on your own work without becoming blinkered - an integral part of a successful graduate career.

Libraries and archives

Graduates in Oxford are fortunate in having access to over a hundred Libraries. The University's core research resource in the humanities are the Bodleian Libraries, whose combined collections contain more than 11 million printed items, in addition to more than 50,000 e-journals and a vast quantity of manuscripts, maps, music and other materials.

The Bodleian has been a library of legal deposit for 400 years. The Bodleian Libraries’ Special Collections Department attracts scholars from all over the world. Further strengths include the countless databases and digital resources currently offered by the Bodleian and being developed through Oxford’s Digital Humanities programme.

You will also be able to draw on the specialist resources offered by the Oxford History Faculty Library which will provide you with dedicated support and training courses. You will also have access to the many college libraries and to college archives which can house significant collections of personal papers as well as institutional records dating back to the middle ages.

Funding

There are over 1,000 full graduate scholarships available across the University, and these cover your course and college fees and provide a grant for living costs. If you apply by the relevant January deadline and fulfil the eligibility criteria you will be automatically considered. Over two thirds of Oxford scholarships require nothing more than the standard course application. Use the Fees, funding and scholarship search to find out which scholarships you are eligible for and if they require an additional application, full details of which are provided.

Costs

Annual fees for entry in 2017-18

Full-time study

Tuition fee

College fee

Total annual fees

Part-time study

Tuition fee

College fee

Total annual fees

Home/EU(including Islands)

c. £2,125

£1,511

c. £3,636

Overseas

£7,880

£1,511

£9,391

The fees shown above are the annual tuition and college fees for this course for entry in the stated academic year; for courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on likely increases to fees and charges.

Tuition and college fees are payable each year for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay tuition and college fees).

Following the period of fee liability, you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Additional information

Full-time study

There are no compulsory elements of this programme that entail additional costs beyond fees and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Part-time study

Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your tuition and college fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2017-18 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between £1,002 and £1,471 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our Living costs page. If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

Colleges

The following colleges accept students for full-time study on the DPhil in History:

How to apply

You are encouraged to familiarise yourself with the research expertise within the faculty when preparing your research proposal.

You are free to consult one specialist in your field for advice on your project, if you think that would be helpful, but please be aware that the faculty will ultimately determine supervision arrangements, taking due account of workload and commitments of its academics, rather than applicants or prospective supervisors.

If you are not sure who to contact, or if you think your topic is out of the ordinary, and/or requires a specialist supervisor who might not usually be available at all universities, please send a brief topic outline of around two paragraphs to the History Graduate Office to check whether suitable supervision is available and to be put in touch with a potential supervisor, if appropriate.

Please note that you will be asked to choose a subject area that your research topic falls into when completing the application form. This selection is for office use only and will not appear on your student record.

Subject areas

You will need to choose from one of the following subject areas when completing the application form:

Late Antique and Byzantine History

Medieval History

British History 1485-1700

British History 1700-1850

British History 1850-Present

European History 1500-1789

European History 1789-1918

European History 1918-Present

US History

Global and Imperial History

Military History

The set of documents you should send with your application to this course comprises the following:

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

CV/résumé

A CV/résumé is compulsory for all applications. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic achievements and any relevant professional experience.

Research proposal:500 to 1,000 words, typically two to four pages double spaced

Your research proposal must be written in English. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count, though any footnotes should be included.

This should be a developed proposal of your individual research project. It will provide crucial evidence of your readiness for doctoral research. Your proposal should cover all of the following:

a research question: the central issue or problem with which you intend to grapple, and a working title;

historiography: some account of the current state of scholarship in this area. You may want to explain why you are dissatisfied with existing scholarship: is it limited, dated or unconvincing? What kind of contribution will your work make?

sources: an indication of the sources you expect to use, where these can be found, how they will contribute to your research, what if any technical skills you will need to work with them (eg language, quantitative, use of specialist software), and whether you already have, or will need to acquire, those skills; and

method: some discussion of your approach to dealing with sources and constructing your thesis. Some of the following considerations may apply. At what level is your inquiry: micro or local, regional or national, comparative or transnational? Will you be using qualitative or quantitative techniques? Samples or case studies? Will your research draw on a body of theory? Does your approach draw on the agenda or methods of related disciplines such as anthropology, or literary studies?

This will be assessed for:

your reasons for applying

the coherence of the proposal

the originality of the project

evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study

the ability to present a reasoned case in English

the feasibility of successfully completing the project within three years

preliminary knowledge of research techniques

capacity for sustained and intense work

the ability to contextualise, and analyse the evidence.

It will be normal for your ideas subsequently to change in some ways as you investigate the evidence and develop your project. You should nevertheless make the best effort you can to demonstrate the extent of your research question, sources and method at this moment.

Written work:Two essays of 2,000 words each or one essay of 4,000 to 5,000 words

Academic essays or other writing samples from your most recent qualification are required. Extracts from a longer dissertation are welcome but a preface which puts them in context is expected. The written work must be submitted in English (if this work has been translated, you must indicate if the translations are your own, or what assistance you had in producing the English text).

At least one piece of work should demonstrate that you have already engaged with your intended area of thesis research.

Any footnotes should be included in the word count. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count.

This will be assessed for understanding of problems in the area; ability to construct and defend an argument; powers of analysis; powers of expression.

To submit one longer piece of work in your application, upload your work as the first piece of written work in your application and for the second piece of written work upload the following text as a PDF:

"I have included one long essay in lieu of the two short essays as permitted by the department."

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

References should generally be academic, though if you are returning to study after extended periods of non-academic employment then you are welcome to nominate professional referees where it would be impractical to call on your previous university tutors.

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work in both a group environment and sustained individual and self-motivated investigation.